Shuttle mechanism.



A. U. HOUGH.

SHUTTLE MECHANISM.

APPLIOATION FILED NON. as. 1913.

1,103,586 Patented July 14,1914.

m I Na UIJ Q a m I WITNESSES; L-VVENTOR.

AzE 'c. Hone-H, or JANEsvrLLE, WISCONSIN.

SHUTTLE MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 14, 1914.

' Application filed November 26, 1913. Serial No. 803,309.

To all whom, it may concern Be it known that I, A2111. 0. HoueH, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at J anesville, in the county of Rock and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and useful Shuttle Mechanism, of which the following is a specification. Y

My invention relates to improvements in shuttle me-chanisin employed .in weaving shades, the weft of which consists of narrow fibers of wood or other substantial material, and resides in certain peculiar means or mechanism for acting on the shuttle jaws at the proper timeto release the slat, fiber, or weft-unit, carried thereby, and to thrust the same violently from said jaws downwardly into the shed of the loom, as hereinafter more fully explained.

This invention is applicable to a loom such as that described in United States Letters Patent, No. 764,290, and to a raceway and shuttle such as are employed in said loom, said shuttle being designed to carry the weft-units into the shed in the manner set forth in said patent, but being int-his case provided with additional parts or members, and the loom also being provided with additional parts and members, whereby the new results are produced.

' The primary object of my invention is to place and deposit the slats forming the body of the fabric, or weft-units, quickly, accurately and positively in the shed of the loom, even though such weft-units be very narrow and of insufficient weight to drop by gravity with the speed and accuracy necessary in order to produce the best results. With this mechanism weft-units of any width, even the narrowest, can be successfully handled, as before intimated. I Other objects and advantages will appear in the course of the following description.

I attain the objects and secure the advantages of my invention by the means illustrated "in the accompanying drawings, in

which- Figure 1 is a front elevation in partial section of a practical form of embodiment of my invention, the central portions of the loom elements therein shown, with the exception of the shuttle, being broken out; Fig. 2, an enlarged bottom plan of the shuttle, and, Fig. 3, an enlarged cross-section on lines '33, looking in the direction of the associated arrow, in Fig. 1.

Similar figures refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Although I have illustrated and will presently describe in detail a practical form of the invention, I do not desire or intend to be thereby restricted unduly, since my invention consists broadly of means, comprising a reciprocating shuttle provided with holding devices for firmly gripping a weft-unit, to carry such unit to the right position in the shed, and then automatically to deposit said unit in the proper place in such shed, such last-mentioned means being adapted to open or separate said holding devices at the proper moment to release said unit, and at the same time violently to thrust said unit from said holding devices into the shed immediately above other weft-units already woven after the first.

Since the shuttle travels from one end of the raceway to the other and back again, carrying with it. each time a weft-unit,the new mechanism is provided at and for each end of said shuttle, but one mechanismis the duplicate of the other and entirely'independent. 1 I

In the first view the front side of the raceway is entirely removed, and a portion of -the body of the shuttle. at the right-hand end is broken away to disclose fully the mechanism provided at such end.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, it will be observed that there are there represented a raceway at 1,having inwardlydirected track plates or flanges 2-2 at the bottom, a tie-beam at t, and a shuttle which is adapted to travel in said raceway on said flanges from end to end in both directions. Said shuttle comprises a body 5, having a bottom plate 6 with end projections or extensions 7-7, and provided at the ends underneath with gripping members, for the weft-units, consisting of resilient jaws 8-8 and 9-9. The body 5 is receivable between the sides of the raceway 1, and the plate 6 is provided adjacent to itslongitudinal edges with shoes lO-lOadapted to slide on inwardly -projecting, portions of the track plates oriianges 2. Each pair of jaws 8 and 9 is located beneath one of the extensions 7 and these are designed to have one endof a weft-unit, such as is shownat 11 in Fig. I, forced between them, and firmly to grip and hold said unit and to carry it into the shed of the loom, when the shuttle is projected through .the. raceway 1 from onev end to the other of said raceway. Each of the jaws 9 isv secured to a lug 12 thatextends downwardly from the bottom of the plate 6, while the jaws 8 are formed by the terminals of a" resilient strip 13 secured to a central lug 14 P150 depending from saidpl-ate. The parts and members thus far described are similar to corresponding mentioned patent.

slot 15 and pivotally mounted at 16 Within said slot is a releaser 'an'd projector 17 for the'='- weft unitss Each releaser and -'proje'ctor" 17 has a cam edge 18 which extends above the slot 15 within which said releaser and projector is pivoted'at its inner end,

are recessed, as indieated at 23 in Fig. 1, to

accommodate said'spring, and the latter is also received in a'slot 24 in the releaser and projectorwhich is actuated by said spring, atongue '25 depending-from the top of said slot 24 to center the upper terminal of the spring. Normally the free end of. each fingeri 1:9 contactszwith the jaws 8 and 9 below, and the latter are cutout a little, as shown'at 26'26i in Fig.3, to receive such end, and to facilitate the operation of said fi-nger,-as hereinafter explained. To the same end, the free terminal of eachfinger 19I isrectangu1ar on the bottom or straight across, as appearssin Fig.6. I

acDependin'g from thetie-beam 4, in the path of the cam'edges 18 ofthe combined releasing rand-projecting members 17,. are two: actuating or depressing members or dogs for sa idreleasing andprojecting mem-' bers, each of such dogs beingso located as to: cause to be actuated the releaser and projectonat therinner end oft-he shuttle, or, the endof-athe shuttle last to pass through the shedyjustxbefore said shuttle arrives at the end'of its travel in either direction? a =The releasing and projecting members 17 are; relatively offset, as are the aforesaid actuating ,or depressing members therefor, the arrangement. being such that the left-hand actuatingmembe'r is in the path only of the right-hand releaser, and depressor-,and the right-hand actuating member is in the path onlyof the left-hand releaser and: Projector. By 1 this arrangement unnecessaryfriction,

parts in the herebefore j f mentum. In each end of the shuttle. body 5 is a action and wear. are, prevent d... Pro should also be made to enable the aforesaid actuating. membersto swing inwardly or toward the center of the shed, so as not to interfere with the movement of the shuttle at the beginning of its travel. In short, the construction and arrangement ofthese parts should be such as to eliminate all unnecessary fri'ctionfactioii, wear, and loss of mo- Preferably .each of the actuating members or dogs, for the releasing and projectingmember's, consists -of apair of arms 27 having their upper terminals pivotallyattac-hed' at 28 to' ai lug"29=on the underside of the tie-beam 4, and-carrying at their lower ends a roller 30 which is the contactingmedium for the cam edge 18' intd the path'of which-said roller is wposition'ed by said arms. Normally each .pair of arms 27 hangs perpendicularlynfrom the" pivot 28. An abutment 1 pin %or stop 81. proj ects. from each' lug 29 to. prevent the arms, 27 which hang from said. lug from; being swung out of the perpendicular .by tlrerassociated. releaser and projector 17 when it comes. into contact with the. roller 80: carried. by said arms, at the time the shuttle approaches the-end of the-raceway 1.--It will no-w'be seen 'that, when the'-' shuttle approaches either end of lthe raceway '1,'the inner ,releaser and projector encounterstheroller 30' which is in the path; of the cam edge 18 of said release'r .and"projector, and-that, since the arms-127 which carry-said; roller arevprevented by tlie contactingstop 31 from swinging outwardly,said-releaser and projector is swungdownwardly on its pivot 16, as it rides'beneath said 'roller, andwith its finger-:19 forcesfapart the jawsw8 and 9 below-, candviolently projects the weft-unit ll-dowmvardly into the shed. ,The releaser and projector 17 is thus. depressed against the resiliency ofitsspring 22, and the latter acts to, return saidreleaserand projector to. inactive position against the-associated stop 21, asv soon as theaoperating roller-30f ispassed, and .by thetime'the shuttle" ar rives at the extreme endof its travel in the direction in whichit is assumed t0;;be moving. When the; 1 shuttleflis projected from the opposite :end;.of; the raceway,,thefre-" leaser and projector WlliOhiwas just actuated -is;unaffec,ted, because when it eontacts with the roller- 30 at that'end of the loom the arms 27 which support said roller are caused to swing inwardly on their pivot .28.

. Thus there is no opposition to the movement of the shuttle until just, before it agaimarrives at theend-of its travel; when the other releaser and projector is depressedv by- :contact with the other roller 30, and another weft-unit is. forcibly. introduced into. the shed. .Whenever either roller 30; and its arms 27 are actuated inwardly out-of the path of the contacting releaser and prothe shed of a continuous supply of weftunits, since said shuttle traverses the raceway in both directions and can always carry a weft-unit with it for deposit.

In Fig. 1 the shuttle is represented as having traveled to the left far enough for the releaser and projector 17, which is to act on the weft-unit 11 carried by said shuttle, to contact with the roller 30 which is in the path of the cam edge 18 of said releaser and projector. The weft-unit 11 has been carried through the shed almost into position to be deposited therein, the exact position for deposit being reached at the instant the right-hand releaser and projector 17 is actuated downwardly by the roller 30 above, as the shuttle proceeds to-the extreme limit of its travel to the left.

In Fig. 2, the right-hand jaws 8 and 9 are shown fully open by the associated and contacting finger 19, as is the case when the right-hand releaser and projector 17 arrives with the high part of its cam edge 18 directly beneath the contacting roller 30.

- Obviously, the thickness of the jaw-engagmg portion of either finger 19 must exceed that of any weft-unit 11, if such finger is to spread the aws with which it coacts, as well as to force such unit from between said jaWs. In some cases, however, the aforesaid jawengaging part might be of the same thickness as that of the weft-unit, or even possibly of less width..

Although this invention is practicable for wide weft-units, it is especially well adapted for weft-units which are too narrow to project beneath the spring jaws far enough to be removed or knocked out by the means shown in said Patent, No. 7 64,290. This is clear when it is seen that, if the spring jaws were wide enough to hold firmly a weft-unit when it is carried swiftly through the raceway, they would be too wide to permit a narrow weft-unit to project a sufficient distance beneath said jaws to be released in the old way and by the 01d means.

There is a sufficient amount of clearance between the top of the plate 6 and of each extension 7 and the bottom of each releaser and projector 17 and finger 19. when said finger is raised against the stop 21 therefor, to allow for the necessary amount of movement which said releaser and projector receives from the associated roller 30 at the time the shuttle carries said releaser and projector into position to deposit a weft-unit, such amount of movement being also suffi- This construction. permits of the delivery by the shuttle into cient toopen fully the jaws 8 and 9, with which said finger is in engagement, and positively to thrust the weft-unit, held by said jaws, downward with the desired amount of force.

One of the dogs is omitted from the last view for the sake of clearness.

It is believed the explanation already given of the operation of this invention will be found to be' sufliciently clear without recapitulation.

What I "claim as my invention, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with a shuttle, of the class described, provided withholding means for weft-units, and further provided with means for positively ejecting such units from such holding means, of means capable of causing such detaching means to be actuated when said shuttle arrives at a predetermined place in its course.

:2. The combination, with the raceway of a loom, of a shuttle for such raceway, such shuttle being provided with holding means for weft-units, and. further provided with means for positively ejecting such units from such holding means, and an actuating dog, for said detaching means, located in the path of the latter.

3. The combination, with the raceway of a loom, of a shuttle adapted to travel in such raceway, such shuttle being provided with separable holding meansfor Weft-units, and further provided with a spring-pressed member which has a part that projects into operative position relative to said holding means and a weft-unit in the grasp thereof, and a dog in the path of said spring-pressed member, the arrangement of parts being such that, when said spring-pressed member encounters said dog, a weft-unit in the grasp of said holding means is positively ejected therefrom.

4. The combination, with the raceway of a loom, of a shuttle for such raceway, such shuttle being provided with holding means for weft-units, and further provided with means for positively ejecting such units from such holding means, and an actuating dog, for said detaching means, located in the path of the latter, and adapted to act upon the latter only when the shuttle is moving in one direction.

5. The combination, with the raceway of a loom, a shuttle adapted to travel in such raceway, such shuttle being provided with separable holding means for weftunits. and further provided with a spring-pressed member which has a part that projects into operative position relative to said holding means and a weft-unit in. the grasp thereof, of a swinging dog in the path of said springpressed member, and means to prevent such dog from moving in one direction out of an approximately perpendicular position, the

arrangement of parts being such' that, when said spring-pressed member encounters said dog, a weft-unit in the grasp of said holding means is positively ejected therefrom. I 6. a The combination, with the raceway of a loom, a slotted shuttle adapted to travelin such raceway, such shuttle being provided with separable holding means for weft-units, a spring-pressed releaser and projector pivotally mounted in the slot in said-shuttle, an having a finger that extends'into operativ position relative to said holding means and a Weft-unit in the grasp-thereof, and also having a cam edge,-.a'nda stop to limit the'upwa-rd movement of said releaser and projector, of a dog'arranged in the path of saidcam edge, thearrangementof parts being such that, when said releaser and projector encounters said dog, a weft-unit in the grasp of said holding means is positively ejected therefrom. i

7 The-combination, with the raceway of a loom, a'slot-ted shuttle adapted to travel in such raceway, such shuttle being provided with separable holding means for weftunits, a spring pressed releaser and projector pivotally mounted in said shuttle, and having a finger that extends into operative position relative to said holding means and a weft-unit in the grasp thereof, and also having-a cam edge, and a stop to limit the upward movement of said releaser and projector, of aswinging dog located' inthe path of said cam edge, and means to stop the movement of said dog in one direction, the arrangement of parts. being such that, when saidreleaser and projector encounters said Copies of this patent may be obtained for dog, a weft-unitin the grasp oi said holding means ispositivelyejected therefrom,

8. The combination, with the raceway-01E a loom, of a.reciprocatingshuttle for such raceway, such shuttle being provided at of said holding means fromthelatter, "the two releasing and projecting members being relatively ofiset, and operating, dogs arranged in the paths ofsajid releasingand pro ecting members.

9. The combmation, with the racewayof 7 a loom, of a reciprocating shuttle for such raceway, such shuttle being provided at each end with separately l10lCl1I1g meansvfor, weftunits, and being .f urtherprovidedat each end with a movable releaser and projector capable of being actuated to release and positively eject a-weft-nnitin the grasp iof said holding'means from the latter, the two releasing and projecting membersbeingrelatively ofi'set, and operating dogs arranged in the pa-thsof said releasing'and projecting members, such dogs being adapted;-to 1 swing j each in one direction, so as notto. act :on the contacting releasing andprojectingmem bers when carried by the shuttle against-said dogs in the directions in which they are adapted toswing out ofoperative position. I

AZEL o; notions.

Witnesses: 1 a

'Rosn KoERNnR,

HAZEL T. WEIRIoH,

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington,D.G. I w i 

